Always a Farmer
by Meleigh262
Summary: No one knew how Jack's life was before he stumbled upon Mineral Town. No one knew that even as a small child, Jack's dream to farm was always growing..
1. Chapter 1 : Young Jack

Chapter One- Young Jack

The earth moved with his hand, its warmth felt on his small, tan fingers. As he broke the pieces of loose soil from the ground, the scent of Mother Nature rose up to him. A lone leaf stuck through the brown floor with its light green skin shining in the bright sun. He stared at this small wonder, his eyes focusing so intensely that the entire object turned blurry.

A voice abruptly crashed through his thoughts, its agitation clear and strong. "Jack, you better come in for dinner or you'll be sorry!" A middle-aged woman with electrifying blue eyes looked down at her son, whose small hands were still in the fertile garden soil. "I told you not to get messy before eating," she said softly, eyeing the dark spots on his clothes.

"Sorry, Mom..." he sighed, raising himself from the small spot he had made in the grass.

"Why do you enjoy the dirt that much anyway?" Her nose was wrinkled in disgust. Or maybe it was annoyance. Or both.

Jack shrugged weakly. He looked once more at the small plant he had discovered, and turned to his mom with a small smile. "What's for dinner?"

She didn't seem to notice his question. Her eyes were staring in the direction of where Jack was sitting. "This is what you were so absorbed in?" With a decisive pluck, she pulled the tiny fragile leaf out of its home. Its stem drooped as its lifeless roots dangled helplessly, and a few specks of wet earth escaped the grasps of its powerless fingers.

With large eyes, little Jack stared in horror at his mother.

"This?" she asked again, shaking the leaf back and forth in front of him. "Why can't you spend some time with the neighbors? You know, make some friends."

The kids on his street never wanted to talk to him. To them, he was only some quiet boy who didn't enjoy the same things they did. Jack slowly shook his head.

His mom's shoulders dropped and with a heavy sigh, she turned to go back inside the house. "Wash your hands and come eat, Jack," she said over her shoulder.

Jack looked at the empty space where the plant had once buried in. The hole gaped ominously at him, its chambers no longer holding a living thing, but only air. He was only a child, so this small tragedy brought tears to his dark brown eyes. Hot streams escaped without hesitation, their innocent, young pain burning his cheeks. He knelt down and with shaking hands, placed the remaining soil into the hole.

All of nature fascinated him, especially plants. The life of them were just as precious as humans' to Jack. Their fragile being kept them from living for a long time, which was something he tried to not think about. Filled with the dream to become a farmer, Jack had the idea of the ground being a canvas and him being the artist, ready to paint. His mother never allowed him to plant anything, however. She saw the hobby as a waste of time, not even something to be considered a "hobby."

She couldn't see the life coming from these beings like he did. Taking one of nature's creations from the ground didn't phase her. She didn't look at it as taking a life. But, Jack did.

The boy glanced at the small, shriveled leaf on the cold concrete, and walked inside..


	2. Chapter 2 : A Slightly Older Jack

Chapter Two- A Slightly Older Jack

"Did you get all of your books?" Those same blue eyes were there, but a shade of gray circled her pupils. And, as always, they had a brightness about them.

"Yes, Mom. I told you that last night. I placed them all in my bag." Brushing the long hair from his eyes, Jack looked around him, seeing if he had forgotten anything.

His mother walked around the area and opened the refrigerator. "I just don't want your first day in high school to be a bad one," he could hear her say while half of her body was in the fridge.

Jack laughed. "Come on, even if I had forgotten a book or two, the first day wouldn't be bad. Actually, I'm more worried about the people there then what I'm bringing." As soon as he said this, his mom's eyes grew sympathetic.

"Oh, Jack..."

Even though she acted as if she cared, Jack knew that his mother would never fully understand how he felt. The teenagers around him were even worse. They were just really different; there was no other way to say it. Many times, he had tried to talk to them and "belong", but it always ended in failure. Ever since they had seen him planting seeds in his small front yard, some of them resorted to name-calling. "Hippie" and "Tree Hugger" were a few.

"Mom, I already know what you're going to say. Just drop it, ok?" He ran his fingers through his hair and was about to retreat to his room upstairs when he heard the voice call after him.

"You need a hair-cut, Jack, I almost forgot."

"Aw, Mom..."

"Now, young man." It was the end of the discussion as he knew it. Defeated, he crossed the tile floor of the kitchen into the living room. At least he had a fresh new start in this new school. Maybe, just maybe, the other students would forget about calling him names, and just let him be on the same level as them as new-comers to high school.

_Yeah... maybe._

- - -

Jack flicked on the light to his room, and walked towards his small bookshelf. With one finger, he skimmed through the titles until he found what he wanted. "The Life of a Farmer," he whispered the name and slid the book from its slot. Flipping through the pages, he looked at the small pictures. He had already read this many times; he could say the order of each chapter with ease. His eyes swept through his favorite book as he stood there, wonderment etched in his face.

In a flash, the excitement was gone. He was no longer looking at the book in his hands. All of the thoughts of the next day overwhelmed him as he stood there, pressing down on him. The more he thought, the harder it pressed. _There is no one like me.._

In his small room, Jack felt terribly alone. The book in his hands felt cold and dead. He had his books, his dreams, but that was it. He was able to think of everything he wanted after high school, but there was no one to confide in. To Jack, the possibility of finding someone who would listen to him was very small.

Too small.


	3. Chapter 3 : A Pointless Dream?

Chapter Three- A Pointless Dream?

Delicate, creamy petals were opened elegantly, flaunting their yellow beauty. The dew twinkled on sturdy arms, and the green hands stretched out to catch the warm sun. As the wind blew softly around this single flower, its whole body shivered against it. A pair of eyes were a few inches from this miracle, their orbs wide with awe. "There you go." His breath caused the stem to move backwards, easily affected with its light weight. Careful to not touch it, Jack used his finger to wipe away some extra soil at the bottom of the stem.

"I really wished you wouldn't baby that flower so much, Jack."

He turned to see his girlfriend, Sarah, staring at him with her arms crossed. "You built that flower-box to have some flowers, not start a family," she joked, walking to him.

"Did you see it, honey? It's fully in bloom now..."

"Jack, I think we need to go out. Go do something."

Jack looked down at her and saw that her green eyes were pleading.

"Please, Jack."

"Alright, let's go. But, if I come back, and my baby has died..."

"What?"

"I'm kidding! Come on." After helping her into a large coat, Jack opened their apartment door to the outside. "After you."

Once in the car, Sarah would always stare out the window. Jack was grateful for these times. His mind was free to think about the dreams he had ever since he was a child. He thought about how it would be to have his own land and be able to mold it into anything. He would think about how lucky he was to have Sarah. Damn lucky. He grew up without anyone, feeling as though no one would ever listen to him or give him a chance. She gave him a chance, and he would always be in her debt. She tried her hardest to have as much enthusiasm as he did when it came to plants, but he could always tell when she was faking it. He loved her for trying, though.

As he sped up while driving on the road, Jack's head spun with thoughts. He was happy here. _Or am I?_ Yes, he had what he wanted. _But, do you have everything that you want?_

He squinted while driving, trying to stop these thoughts from taking over. _The dream I have is pointless. I've had it since I was a child, but every kid has an immature dream of what they want to do when they grow up. How would I be any different? It's just a dumb dream._

_Just a--_

Two blinding lights shone into his eyes like daggers, making him only see white. A high-pitched scream sounded near him, turning his blood to ice. With a quick swerve to his left, Jack turned the truck so that there was a chance to not collide with the in-coming car. As their truck changed direction, a loud crunch was heard on his right. He could see the door bending into the cabin, the metal screaming as it scraped with the other car. The car's windshield shattered violently, glass raining down on them and cutting their faces. The car had collided into the passenger side. Where Sarah was. _Sarah. _He tried to call out for her but the large force knocked him into the door, causing stars to dance in front of his eyes. His head pounded as his cheek felt the cold glass of the window. He could hear no sound from his right. No voice.

Then, all went black.


	4. Chapter 4 : Blame

Chapter Four- Blame

Birds sang their sad songs as they flew around the towering building. Quiet rain fell on the windows as the clouds mourned for this tragic day. One window stood out from the rest. A single flower in a pot had been placed on the windowsill, its beauty seen by the circling birds.

Jack sat near this flower, his body slumped in the soft, red chair. His face had been in his hands all morning, not daring to look up at the dreadful sight. Sarah was with him in the room, but she was not conscious. She was in the sterile, white hospital bed a few feet away from him. Her pale face was lifeless and unsmiling. The first time Jack had looked into this pitiful face, it took all of his strength to not cry. He had to stay strong. For himself and Sarah. The weak beep of the heart monitor sounded monotonously, its rhythm causing Jack's own heart to beat.

After a short visit to the Emergency Room, Jack was able to have his small injuries mended. The doctors had told him warily that the wounds were nowhere small. But to Jack, after comparing to what Sarah was going through, they were.

_It's all my fault._

Shaking hands wiped his eyes, but they couldn't stop the tears from escaping. _All of my fault.._

Sarah was his strength, his everything. She was there for him when he needed her. And, now because of his carelessness..

A woman with black hair pulled into a bun entered the room. "Jack, I need to speak to you about Sarah. Come here, please."

His legs felt heavy as he crossed the small room. His head had a dull pounding to it. It felt the same as it did after the accident, but he was used to the insistent thudding.

The nurse's eyes looked in his as she spoke. "Sarah has been through a lot. She's been stronger than we expected. She's lucky to have even survived this long."

Her words were cutting through him. _No.._

"During the collision, the impact took a huge toll on her. She's suffering severe brain damage-"

Jack inhaled sharply. _The words were_ _like a knife into his back._

"And, her spine is damaged in many places. And, seeing that she's tiny..." The nurse's eyes were filled with sympathy. "I'm really sorry, Jack."

_No. She was twisting the knife.._

"The doctors have estimated that tonight will be her last day. She'll pass naturally in her sleep." She paused and looked at him with concern. "Jack?"

He could barely keep from collapsing where he stood. "There's no way she'll be able to.. They're sure she'll.."

Some of the dark hair fell into her eyes as she bowed her head. "I'm afraid they're sure that she'll not make it."

Without knowing it, Jack's fists were clenching. _She can't. She wouldn't leave me_. "You're lying."

She raised surprised eyes at him. "Jack, I know this is har-"

"No," he cut her off. "You're wrong. She'll make it." He turned quickly and walked into the small hospital room. "Sarah and I need some time alone." He slammed the door, leaving the nurse standing in silence.


	5. Chapter 5 : Don't Leave Me

Chapter Five- Don't Leave Me

Her eyes couldn't see him. Her mouth couldn't smile. And yet, Jack sat by her for the rest of the afternoon. His fingers were laced into hers, but the warmth that he usually felt from them was extinguished. His eyes were screaming to cry again, and at one point, he thought he would give in. _Be strong. You have to._

"Sarah... I know you can't hear me, but... I want you to know that I'll always love you." This sudden emotion swept through him violently, causing his body to shiver. His eyes were no longer able to hold in the hot tears. He wept silently over her body with his arms over her, protectively. "Please don't leave me," he whispered, "You can't leave me. Not now, not ever. Don't do it, Sarah..."

He raised his head to see her. With a finger, he swept a strand of hair from her precious face. If only he could see those green eyes again. Those smiling eyes that made him truly love the life he led. Their bright fire lit up his heart whenever he looked in them. He could see them clearly in his head now, and her laughter filled his ears, it's beauty comforting him.

As he held her closely, he closed his eyes. He would stay here forever until she got better. Until she was able to show him her lovely eyes once more..

- - -

Jack was told to leave the room. Despite his attempts to stay with Sarah, they were in vain. After kissing her softly on the cheek, Jack walked out of the room into the bright hallway. The nurse followed him out and closed the door behind her.

"You know the rules, Jack... I'm sorry. We can't have anyone in the room while the doctors check on her physical health."

"...and her mental health?" His throat was dry, and the words he spoke were barely above a whisper.

The nurse looked away sadly. "They're not sure yet... You know what happened."

Jack shook his head slowly. He sat down in a chair beside Sarah's door. "It was all of my fault, Valerie."

Valerie was taken by surprise, hearing her name. He hadn't acknowledged her name tag when she was in Sarah's room with him, let alone say her name aloud. She took her place beside the chair, and leaned against the wall. "No one can stop these things, Jack. The absolute worst thing you can do right now is blame yourself." She sighed heavily, her small shoulders falling. "Being a nurse, I've seen many incidents like this."

Jack looked up, a sudden rush of hope filling him. "In any of those times, did the patient who had bad injuries survive?"

Her heart broke in two. "Yes..." she said quietly. "But, in those times, the injuries weren't as bad as the ones Sarah is experiencing." Jack's eyes closed tightly. "We'll try our best," she added. She knelt by him, her hand on his knee. "I promise."


	6. Chapter 6 : Letters

Chapter Six- Letters

_She had promised..._ A single fist crashed into the coffee table. His whole body was shaking, but he didn't know whether from anger or sadness. The room felt cold and unforgiving as he sat by the coffee table. His eyes traveled the walls, trying to find something that would get his mind off of tonight. His attempts, however, were useless.

_He woke up to a comforting voice and found Valerie's eyes looking down at him. Jack raised himself from the bed he had made in the hospital waiting room and looked up at her with anticipating eyes. " ...well?"_

_She stood there, wringing her hands. Jack could see that the news weren't good. As he stared at her fretting hands, he felt like he was falling. She didn't have to speak to let him know what had happened._

_"She's... dead... isn't she?" he was finally able to choke out. Eyes were on him from the other people in the waiting room. He wanted them to stop staring. They didn't know the kind of pain he was going through. He wanted to scream at them. He covered his face to get rid of the people around him._

Jack shook his head quickly. _Don't think about that. Don't you ever think about that_. He got up and walked to the bedroom.

He flicked on the light to his room, and it lit up the same way as that night so long ago: the night where he felt like no one would ever understand him. He had been a teenager then, about to go into high school. The simple act of turning on the light was bringing back these depressing memories. Jack tried to avoid another flashback, and sat heavily onto his bed. Laying down, he kicked his boots off. One of them hit a wooden box at the foot of the bed and made a hollow noise. He looked up to see what it had hit. His stomach turned over when he saw Sarah's treasure box. He had given it to her on her 20th birthday so she could keep special treasures in it. Even though his mind was telling him not to, Jack had to look into the box. It would be painful to see his loved one's prized possessions, but it might help take the pain away. He would feel closer to her. Closer than he could at this point.

Opening the box, the smell of potpourri rose up to him. Breathing in, he suddenly felt more relaxed. Many papers were piled in this box, their corners crinkled and some so old that he was surprised they were still in one piece. He picked up a sheet of pink-tinted paper, and he could see it was a page from a diary. The words "I have a boyfriend!" were scribbled in loopy letters. The words were written in flowing cursive and each dotted "i" had a small heart in the place of the dot. Jack smiled as he read about their first date. He remembered that day clearly as he read about each event that had happened. It wasn't the most romantic date when he had knocked over a glass of water, but to both of them, it was very special. Half-way through reading her diary entry, the page turned blurry as Jack tried to read with glistening eyes. "Sarah.." He placed the page carefully on the floor and continued looking.

Jack found an older-looking piece of paper that was under a box of chocolates. Jack opened it slowly, and he could see that where it was folded, there was a dark line from the crease. It was a letter written to Sarah. For a fleeting second, Jack's face flushed. Was this by another man?

He read through it hastily, but as he did, the anger was replaced with wonder.

**My dear Sarah,**

**How are you? I've seen better days, myself. The whole farm is alive and well, of course, just like you saw it before. I can't believe it's been so long since you visited my humble home. Please consider coming again. The small puppy that you had so much fun with is now strong and loyal. You should've seen the cows when you left. I could see how they missed you. Those cows enjoyed your company, Sarah.**

**I hope you get this letter soon. I told the mayor that I wanted it sent to the city immediately, but he had told me the ferries always took so long with sending letters.**

**You know where I live! Mineral Town. Just in case you had forgotten. It's been a while, you know..**

**By the way, I'm not getting any younger, so I was hoping that you would find someone that could take this farm and keep it going? It would mean the world to me. I know that you're really busy and all, so don't worry about it.**

**Take care,**

**Sam**

Jack's heart beat so hard that he thought he could hear it. He could barely see as he looked for more things in the treasure box. Another letter that looked like this one was right under it, and he opened it quickly.

**Hey Sam,**

**You know, I was thinking about it, and I know someone named Jack who would love to see this farm. I'm sure he would die for an opportunity like this one. He's always loved plants and such, so why not give him a shot? I'd love to bring him to you sometime in March, if you don't mind.**

**Sarah**

Turning the letter over, Jack looked at the date that was written in small letters at the top. It was marked November 21. Jack stared at the date with wide eyes. She had planned on sending the letter tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7 : A Golden Moment

Chapter Seven- A Golden Moment

Jack slowly laid the letter into the treasure box and with a click, the box closed. Getting up, he tried his hardest to keep a calm head upon his shoulders. It didn't work. Sarah knew where he wanted to be all along and all she wanted to do was help him get to that point... _And, you had to kill her._ Collapsing in bed, Jack closed his eyes tightly, trying with all his might to ignore every word of his conscience.

- - -

His legs had the same dead feeling as when he was at the hospital. It was after the funeral, and all of Sarah's close family and friends were walking back to their cars. The air around Jack was almost suffocating as he walked, but he knew it was just his imagination. Following behind a small family, Jack could hear a few of the words of their conversation. "Yes, she was a lovely girl... beautiful eyes, don't you think?" The wife's arm was linked in her husband's, and she looked up at him expectantly.

"Oh, yes, she was a gem. It's too bad she had to get in that car accident..."

"Shh, dear, not in front of the children."

Jack looked at his feet as he continued to his car. No one deserved to look at him. A loud voice caused him to raise his head, however. "Yes, I'm here in Sam's place. He would've loved to see her funeral. But... death happens, and old Sam hasn't been around for a few months now, I believe." A bulky man in his middle thirties was seen talking to a group of women. His large smile shone brightly compared to his dark tan. His hair was cut short on the top of his head, and his whole body had an almost squarish look to it. The ladies around him seemed more interested in this man then the actual funeral.

Disgusted, Jack paid no attention to the women. Instead, he wanted to know more about this guy. He said he knew Sam, and from the sound of it, they seemed pretty close. "Excuse me!" He raised his hand to show the man who had called him, and ran up beside the group. "I heard you know- er, I mean, knew a Sam? Does he..." His question suddenly sounded stupid. "...happen to own a farm?"

"DID own, my boy," the muscular man said, hitting Jack on the shoulder. Jack saw stars. "I was his shipper when his barn was in the best shape of its life." A dreamy look crossed the man's face as he said this, and his eyes looked up at the sky. Catching himself, he shook his head quickly, and laid on another one of his giant smiles. "The name's Zack, my boy." He raised his hand to hit Jack on the shoulder again, but Jack hastily grabbed it to shake it. Zack seemed confused, but shook back after a few seconds. "You seem interested in all of this." He looked at him suspiciously. "Why would a city boy like you want to know about Sam? Or a farm, for that matter?"

Jack placed a hand behind his head nervously. "Well... Sarah was my girlfriend, sir." These words hurt to say, but he continued. "She knew Sam. She had been to his farm before and he had wanted her to come back."

"Ah yes... the city girl. She was full of life, she was. She would always tell us that she would come back very soon." Zack frowned. "I never saw her again."

"Why didn't she ever come back?"

"How should I know? She seemed to love it. But, I'm betting she became more interested in whatever was happening in the city then what our little town had to offer, so she never came." Zack crossed his arms. "Old Sam had even sent her a letter, but no reply came back. He decided to not bother her after that."

"But, she did reply!" Jack burst out.

"My boy, if she had, we would've receiv-"

"I found the letter that she was supposed to use to reply back to Sam's. It said that she knew someone who would love to take the farm. It was... supposed to be sent a few days ago."

"Why would she wait so long to reply back?" The women were slowly leaving the two men alone. This conversation didn't appeal to them.

"It's Sarah, who knows?" Jack smiled fondly. "She always had a weird way of things. Maybe, she wanted to surprise me, and didn't want to send the letter until then..."

"Yeah, I guess." Zack shrugged and grinned at Jack. "So, who's this person she was talking about?"

Jack kicked the dirt with his boot and after a few seconds, answered. "Me."


	8. Chapter 8 : Doubt

Chapter Eight- Doubt

Zack stared at him. "You?"

This question caused Jack to get uncomfortable, seeing Zack's unbelieving face. "Uh... yeah. Me."

Zack looked at him and then looked away. "I don't know..."

Jack could feel his blood start to boil. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"I don't know if Old Sam wanted his farm taken by some... boy he didn't know."

Zack was acting almost snobby. Jack couldn't stop his cheeks from burning with anger. He tried to keep his voice steady. "...boy?"

"Yeah, I think having a farm would be too tough for you, little dude. I mean, look at ya!" He moved a hand up and down, motioning for Jack to look at himself.

Jack didn't look and continued staring into Zack's eyes. "I don't see anything wrong with me," he said cooly. "And, Sarah was going to take me to his farm anyway to see it. Why wouldn't Sam want me to take over the farm?"

Zack sneered. "Do I have to answer tha-"

"Look, pal." Jack pointed his finger at him. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm going to Mineral Town, and I'm going to look at this farm myself. I've been wishing for an opportunity like this for too damn long to have some fat, stupid oaf tell me otherwise."

Zack opened his mouth, speechless. After stuttering a few times, he replied back, "Very well. If you think you can handle it, you can come see it."

"Thank you. But, I don't think I needed your permission." Turning on his heel, Jack left Zack staring dumbly after him.

_What the hell?_ Jack fumed, walking briskly to his car. He _seemed so nice before, and then when I let him know I want the farm... he becomes a jerk?_ His eyes squinted in fury, Jack jammed the key into the ignition.

"Hey! Wait!" A large figure was running to him, his arms raised.

"Now what?" Jack groaned.

Zack's head appeared by his car window. Staring ahead, Jack acted oblivious to the standing man beside his car. That is, until Zack tapped annoyingly on the glass.

Jack rolled down the window, not caring if he showed anger and frustration. "What?!"

Zack looked down at his feet. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I gave you a hard time back there. I shouldn't judge someone by how they look, so I have no idea how you would do on the farm." He smiled sheepishly. "I usually don't apologize like this... This is kind of new for me."

Jack blinked.

"Well, I want you to know that I'll give you a shot, and I'll see you when you arrive in Mineral Town, ok? That is... if you do." An awkward silence followed after this sentence. "So... uh... good luck."

As Jack stared at this ugly, large man, his anger slowly faded away. He looked ahead of him and finally sighed. "Alright, thank you. I'll come sometime next week." With that, he started the car, and drove off.


	9. Chapter 9 : The Airport

Chapter Nine - The Airport

Jack stared at the small opened suitcase on his bed. He had packed clothes that he had always considered the ones that you would wear on a farm. A pair of overalls with large pockets was folded neatly on top of old black boots. With all his strength, Jack pushed the top down and zipped it as fast as he could before things flew out again. He had already had to pick up his belongings once from the floor. He walked to his dresser, where Sarah's letter to Sam was resting. Picking it up, he read it through one more time and placed it in his pocket before carrying his luggage to the front door_. I'm actually going._

- - -

He couldn't drive his truck to the airport because the entire right side was destroyed. Jack nervously made a rhythm on his legs with his hands as he looked out the window. It was never the same on the road after the accident. Cars always seemed to go past him much too fast and he was always watching for other people on both sides of him. Whenever he was in a car, the screaming of metal would be in his ears as if it was happening again. He could almost see the car crushing the side of his truck. He could almost see it crushing Sarah.

He closed his eyes and felt the wind blow in his hair from the open window. The least he could do was avoid thinking of that and instead, think of going to this farm for Sarah. He knew she wanted to surprise him, and she did. Not the way she had planned, but she was still able to give him this opportunity to live the life he wanted.

A tear slowly went down his cheek while his eyes were still shut. Her bright eyes smiled at him as she talked to him softly with her warm tone. _You're doing this for me, Jack. You're going to the farm for me._

He opened his mouth to respond but a small bump in the road made him remember where he was.

"How much longer, sir?" he asked the taxi driver. He looked at the small, sharp eyes that were reflected in the rear-view mirror.

The driver grunted. "About ten or twenty minutes."

Jack nodded and looked out the window once more. He didn't know what he would do after getting there. He didn't think that far ahead. Would he stay? And if he did, where would he stay? A sense of uneasiness took ahold of him. What if he wouldn't be able to stay there? What if the townspeople wanted the farm to stay vacant and not have a boy that they didn't know taking it instead? His hands weren't tapping his legs anymore; they were gripping the seat of the car. _Great. There's no plan right now and I don't even know if I can stay_.

He had to ask something. Anything. "Have you been to this town before?" he asked, breaking the silence.

The sharp eyes caught his. "No, I haven't. I take people to places, not visit them. too."

He didn't know what to say to that. "Ah," he said awkwardly, "Ok."

After a few more minutes of mindless worry, the car stopped in front of a small airport. He had never been to one before, but compared to what he had seen on television, this one was quite tiny.

Jack gave the man what he owed him, got out of the car, and watched him drive away.

_Breathe. _

Jack caught his breath after noticing he had been holding it.

_Everything will be fine. You're visiting a town, so there must be some sort of hotel to stay in. _

His legs didn't want to move from his spot. He could see his flight on the listing. He would be flying to that location, on the coast, and then take a small ferry to the island containing Mineral Town.

People passed him without a glance as they hurried to their gates. Jack had to remind himself to breathe again. Looking at the list once more, he walked to the help desk to find exactly where he was supposed to go.

"Just check your baggage with that lady over there and then you'll be able to find the gate you're supposed to be at," the kind man at the desk said. With a smile, he pointed to the direction of the woman.

Jack started to walk away when the man stopped him.

"Hey."

Jack stopped.

"Breathe, boy. You look like someone just died." The man laughed a hoarse laugh after he said this.

With a clinched stomach, Jack kept walking.


	10. Chapter 10 : The Ferry

Chapter Ten - The Ferry

Jack was holding his breath again. After asking the lady at the desk to make sure he was getting on the right plane, Jack followed other passengers into the ominous jet and took a seat. _Breathe, damn you, it's just a plane_. He exhaled, perhaps a little too forcefully. A lady turned to look at him curiously, and with red cheeks, Jack muttered an apology.

"Thank you for riding the Air Express airline today. If you may fasten your seatbelt and secure your belongings, we can begin take-off."

_Damn you._ Jack fumbled with his small bag that he carried on and clumsily sat it by his feet. _Was that secure? _He double-checked his seatbelt to make sure it was on. _You have a car accident and your next thought is to ride a plane? Genius._

Jack tried to slow down his breathing, but he couldn't help holding on to the arm rests for dear life. As the plane started going, he promised himself to never fly again.

- - -

The plane ride had been very quiet, surprisingly. Jack was grateful for getting off because the entire ride, Sarah's face kept reminding him that he would never see her again.. He decided to keep his mind on a different matter and began to worry about finding his things.

He walked to the area where all of the luggage was brought on a conveyer belt, and he realized that locating his baggage was easier than he thought. He was the only one with pink roses splashed all over a black canvas. He felt his face burning yet again as he picked up Sarah's old suitcase.

As soon as he stepped out of the air-conditoned building, a gust of dry, hot air blew into his face. The bright sun caused him to squint as he looked for where he was to go next. _Ferry.. ferry.. _

"Can I help you, sir?" A middle-aged man with a large beard approached him. He was wearing a freshly-cut police uniform with a matching sharp hat. Jack suddenly became aware of how sloppy he must look with jeans and a t-shirt as he stood next to this professional man.

"Uh, yeah. I need to find the ferry that's supposed to take me to Mineral Town?" He took a small piece of paper out of his pocket. "The lady I asked at the airport said that it was called the-"

"St. Peter, sir," he said matter-of-factly. "It should be just past those buildings, to your right. It'll be leaving in about 10 minutes, so you better hurry."

After thanking the man, Jack carried his heavy belongings to the large docking area. On both sides of him, he could see nothing but coastline, with a small break in the sand where a dock was. The large ferry contained several people in it already, their heads only visible. The air was more humid here, the ocean mist mixing into it.

A white-haired man wearing a sailor's hat called to him. He was standing on the ferry above the rest, on a platform with a ladder leading up to it. "Oy! If you need to go to the island, the ferry for it is right here. We're about to leave, so please climb aboard."

Jack smiled and carried his bags to the ramp leading onto the boat. He lowered them beside the wall of the ferry, and leaned against it, feeling more relaxed than he had been for a while. The ferry started off slowly as Jack closed his eyes to listen to the calm wind and birds flying around them.

He didn't even hear the footsteps approaching him while his eyes were closed. "Hi, I'm Kai," a smooth, deep voice said.

Opening his eyes, he saw a taller man with dark skin. The man flashed a smile, his pearl white teeth contrasting with his dark skin-tone.

"I'm Jack." The two shook hands.

"So, what are you doing on this ferry?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm going to see the farm in Mineral Town. The one that Old Sam used to own."

The man named Kai frowned. "He's not there anymore?"

"Uh, no, why?"

He put his hands in his pockets. "I only visit once a month, this year being different since I'm staying for good. I had no idea he was gone.. it's a shame." He didn't sound too sincere.

"Yeah, my girlfriend knew him." Jack swallowed. He hated the feeling in his stomach whenever he talked about her to other people. "You're going to stay there now?"

"Yeah, I'm marrying a girl there.." His eyes became brighter. He smiled again. "So, we'll see each other around then?"

Jack grinned back. Was he actually going to have a friend at this new place? "Yeah, looks like it."


End file.
